Indicator for locks.



E. RENNERT.

INDICATOR FOR LOCKS.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 6. 1912.

1,161,158. Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,\VASH|NGTON. D. L

EDWARD, RENNER-T, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNGR 0F ONE-HALF T0 GUY E. TIIVI'M'INS, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

INDICATOR FOR LOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1315.

Application filed July 6, 1912. Serial No. 708,013.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it, known that, I, EDWARD RENNERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an indicating mechanism for looks and especially locks for doors of hotel rooms, apartment houses, steamer state rooms and all doors where it is desirable to indicate whether the door is locked or not.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide means for readily indicating on the outer side of the door whether the door is unlocked, locked from withinor locked from without.

Another object is to provide an lndicator which is positive in its operation, the indicating means being rigidly attached to the bolt and consequently moving therewith.

Another object is to provide a lock, the condition of which may be ascertained either in the dark or when the lock is visible.

Other objects and novel features of the invention will be apparentfrom the follow outside of the lock removed from the door,

one of the bolts being shown unlocked position and the other'shown in locked position. Fig. 3 is. a plan view of the lock showing the cover of the casing removed and the parts. therein in the pos tion assumed when the door is unlocked. Fig. 4 is a plan view similar to Fig. 3, parts being broken away showing the bolt operable from the outside in retracted position and the bolt operable from within being shot into locking position, thetumbler for lockingthe latter removed to more clearly illustrate the operation. Fig. 5. is a perspective view of one of the bolts and its separable indioating member.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the locking door to which the front plate 11 is applied by means of the screws 12 as is usual. Connected to the front plate 11 and extending rearwardly therefrom to be set into a recess mortise in the door is a casing member 13 which is provided with the removable cover 1 1. The cover is set on the front side of the casing and has a key hole 15 therein, accessible from the outside only. The cover 14 is also provided with an opening 17 for the spindle 17, and in line with the spindle opening 17 and hole 15 there are two rectangular openings 111 and 1412 through which project the. indicating devices to be hereinafter explained. The casing 13 is provided with a key hole 16 accessible through the door from the inside. A knob spindle 17 having knobs 1,8, is arranged to operate the latch 26 in a manner well understood.

Two independent and parallel bolts 28 and 29 operate within the casing 13. In

the present case the bolt 28 constitutes the locking means operable from within, while the bolt 29 is only operable from without. However, this arrangement may be changed or varied to suit the conditions.

As illustrated in Fig. .5 the bolt 28 comprises an enlarged end section 30 cast integral with the thin rearsection 31. The end section 30 passes through the front face plate 11 and engages in the plate on the door casing. Therear section 31 has two narrow openings 32 and 33 extending therethrough and a cut away section 3a to receive the key, and a recess 35 in its under side, the function of which will presently be explained. Rising from the outer face of the section 31 and near the cut away portion 34; there is an upstanding lug 36 which is cast integral with the rear section 31 and has a threaded opening 37 in its upper end to receive the threaded shank 38 of a fiat rectangular plate or disk 39. The construction of the bolt 29 is substantially the same as the bolt 28 with the exception that there is no recess in its under side corresponding to the recess 35. The openings 32 and 33 in the narrow section 31 of the bolts fit over, and are guided by lugs 10-40 and 41*4-1 integral with the casing 13. The lug a1 is not shown in the figure but corresponds to the lug 41 shown in Fig. 4. The lugs to, ll and ll constitute stops and guides for the bolts 28 and 29respectively. The lugs 4E0, d0 are circular in cross section and have pivotally mounted thereon key operated tumblers to releasably hold the bolts 28 and 29 in their respective positions. The tumbler 42 for the bolt 28 has an opening therein which has an inwardly projecting lug M intermediate the ends of the opening 43 to cooperate with the upstanding lug 36 on the bolt, locking the bolt in either position. The tumbler is releasably held against movement by the springet5' which is fastened to the tumbler at one end and the other end bears against a lug 46 integral with the casing. The tumbler 42 may be operated by a key introduced through the key hole 16 from the inner side of the door, thereby raising the stop or projection 44.- out of the way of the lug-36 so that the bolt 28 may be shot forward when the bit of the key engages the end of the bolt adjacent the key hole.

The lug 4E0" has pivoted thereon-a plurality of tumblers d7, 471, 47 2 and l7 3. The tumblerseach have an opening 48 at their free ends through which the lug 36 on the belt 29 projects; The openings are formed with projections 49 sealer lo the pro ections 4:4: on thetu rnbler 42' and each' of the tumblers is releasably held by a separate spring 50, the inner end of which is rigidly connected to the tumbler and the outer end to a lug l6. integral with the casing 13. The bottom tumbler has an upstanding projection 51, thereon to limit the movement of the same. The tumblers 47,. 471, 472 and 47 3 may be actuated from the outside by a suitable key projected through the key hole 15.

The outer side of thedoor' 10 has an escutcheon plate 52 fitted thereon which has 29. The plates 89, 39 on the upstanding lugs -36 and 36 reciprocate across the openings 54 and 55 and cover and uncover the same when the bolts 28 and 29 are shot from one position to the other. For example, when the bolt 28 is shot forward into locked position the lug will have been turned from the insideand the plate-'36 moving therewith will uncover the opening 5%. indicating that the door is locked from within. Again, when the bolt 29 is shot forward into locked position the hole 55 will be uncovered and indicate that the door has been locked from the outside. If both openings 54: and 55 are covered, it will be obvious that the door is unlocked. It will thus be possible to ascertain at a glance the exact condition of the by simply inserting the end of the key or other small instrument similar to a nail into the openings. By the sense of touch the one trying the lock will thus be informed of the 2'5 condition of the same.

The double armed lever pivoted on the pivot 56'integral with the casing 1.3 and locked between the bolts 28 and 29 has an arm 57 which lies flush with the bottom of the casing and extends into the recess 35 on the lower side of the bolt 28. On the opposite side of the pivot 56 and connected with the arm 57 there is an arm 58 having an upstanding end 59. The outer face of the end 59 engages a ainst the tumblers 17, 4-71, 4:72 and e73 when the bolt 28 is shot into locked position from the inside as indicated in Fig. 4, thus preventing any one on the outside from operating the bolt 29 to lock the door from the outside when the door is locked from within.

1n assembling the lock, the plebs Ell) llllll 39' are removed from the main lock and the latter is set in position in the recess in the edge of the door. The lugs 36 and 36 project through the openings l il and 14-2 in the cover 1% and when the lock is set in the recess in the door the lugs 36 and 36 will project into an opening 60 communicating with the recess in the door and the plates 39, 39 may be adjusted on the lugs 36 and 36. The plates 39, 39 slide along the inner surface of the escutcheon plate 52 and may be adjusted inwardly or outwardly as desired.

The operation of the lock and indicating mechanism will be clear from the foregoing description. The indicators show whether the door has been locked from the inside or from the outside and will also indicate when the door is open or unlocked. Each bolt is independent of the other, except that the bolt on the inside cannot be opened from the outside, nor can the bolt on the outside be opened from the inside, nor operated when the inside bolt is shot to locked position. The simple arrangement of the indicating mechanism and the action of the same without the assistance of springs, levers or extra attachments to the key or look affords a device which is adapted to be mounted on most makes of locks whether for single or double indication. By using a double lock the door is made burglar proof, there being no key hole on the outside of the door to connect with the inside bolt.

As numerous changes may be made in the construction of the mechanism without departing from the spirit of the invention, it is not intended that the invention shall be 130 limited to the exact details as shown and described.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent is: w

1. In a lock, the combination of a. bolt having a lug thereon, locking mechanism capable o1 cooperating with said lug to retain the bolt in one of two' positions, and indicating means connected to the lug on said bolt.

2. In a lock, the combination of a bolt having a lug thereon, locking mechanism capable of cooperating with said lug to retain the bolt in one of two positions, and an indicating device rigidly mounted on said lug whereby said device moves with the bolt.

3. In a lock, the combination, of a casing adapted to be fitted on a door, locking mechanism in the casing comprising a plurality of bolts, a member having openings therein, and means controlled by the bolts capable of covering and uncovering the openings in said member to indicate the position of each of the bolts.

4. In a lock, the combination with a member having an opening therein, of a bolt having a lug thereon, locking mechanism capable of cooperating with said lug to retain the bolt in looking position, and a part at the outer end of said lug movable into and out of registry with said opening whereby said part on said lug will cover and uncover said opening so as to indicate the position of said bolt by sight or by the sense of touch.

5. In a lock, the combination of two bolts, one of which is operable only from one side of the door and the other being operable only from the opposite side 01"? the door, and means including an apertured plate on the outer side of the door for indicating the positions of the two bolts.

6. In a mortise lock, the combination of a casing having an opening in a side wall thereof, a bolt and locking mechanism therefor within said casing, said bolt having a part which cooperates with said looking mechanism, and a plate having an opening therein, said part of the bolt extending through the opening in the side wall of the casing and movable with respect to said opening in said plate and cooperating therewith to indicate the position of the bolt.

7. In a lock, the combination of a casing, a locking bolt in said casing, locking mechanism in said casing for retaining said bolt in looking position,f and an indicating device extending outside ofsaid casing and rigidly mounted on said bolt whereby said deyice is carried by and moves with said bot.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD RENNERT.

Witnesses:

THOMAS T. NELSON, Gno. E. WRIGHTSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

